College of Human Sciences

CHS Social Work scholar to serve on international editorial board

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Dr Mbazima Mathebane from Unisa’s Department of Social Development in the College of Human Sciences has accepted an invite to form part of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Indigenous Social Development (JISD).

The Journal of Indigenous Social Development is committed to advancing education, practice, research, and policy making relevant to Indigenous peoples’ social and economic wellbeing. JISD is a peer-reviewed journal published exclusively in open-access electronic form. The Journal provides a forum for scholars and practitioners from diverse disciplines to expand knowledge and develop dialogue relevant to Indigenous communities globally. Intended to reflect diverse communities and perspectives, the editorial board, special issues editors, and reviewers include: elders and leaders of indigenous communities, community-based practitioners, policymakers, university educators and researchers.

The journal’s Dr Michael Anthony Hart informed Dr Mathebane that his experience in working in the field of social work in Africa will be invaluable to the Board. Dr Mathebane who served as a reviewer for the journal for just over two years says he was recruited due to his research and publications in the area of indigenous social work and decoloniality.

“I also served on the steering committee of the Global Network of indigenous social work researchers from where my initial interactions with the Journal of Indigenous Social Development started. I have always attended and presented papers at the International Indigenous Voices of Social Work Conferences which also links to the network and the journal. This appointment signals real recognition of my work and contribution to the development of indigenous social work practice, research and education at a global/international level.”

Dr Mathebane’s appointment comes barely a year after the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions (ASESWEI) and the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) bestowed on him the Social Work Up-and-Coming Educator of the Year Award for 2017. He says that he is grateful and humbled by this appointment because it is an opportunity to serve and to present an African voice to the global movement and discourse on indigenous social work and decoloniality.

“It is a challenging opportunity in a sense that it is my first time to serve as a member of an Editorial Board of an accredited and peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, it is an international journal where issues of impact and reputation are crucial. So I join a team of hard-working, prolific and leading scholars in my field and research area of interest. It is indeed a great pleasure and privilege to be according such a rare, but significantly valuable opportunity to serve.”

Dr Mathebane says he is hoping to raise the flag and represent his Department, College and Institution very well at the international level. “Through this role, my publication record together with the department’s will improve. Hopefully, my role in this capacity would enable and encourage fellow colleagues in the department to participate actively in research and writing for publication. This opportunity promises to raise one ‘s profile and that of the university at a global level. I also expect to benefit immensely from various forms of skills transfer and capacity building opportunities that comes with a role like the one under discussion and to plough back such to my Department, College and the University.”

* By Rivonia Naidu-Hoffmeester

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Publish date: 2018-09-13 00:00:00.0

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